2010 Annual Conference Wrap Up

The Annual Conference has come to an end for another year and our Events Coordinator, Sarah Ciuffetelli gives us her personal wrap-up of this year’s affair.  It all began at the Brisbane Airport where the delegates enjoying some drinks and canapés at the Alehouse before departing for their short 10 hour plane ride to Vietnam. Upon arriving, delegates were taken on a tour of District One, followed by dinner and drinks at the Rex Hotel bar which looks over the magical city of Saigon, allowing delegates to immerse themselves in the tropical atmosphere. The second day of the Annual Conference was a fantastic combination of food, information and tradition as delegates were swept from informative business sessions, to a night of local cuisine at Binh Quoi Village. In what was described as something that looked like a scene from an APEC meeting, delegates looked dazzling in their costumes as they boarded the junk for the trip up the Saigon River to Binh Quoi. The traditional music and dancing capped off a great night at Binh Quoi before many delegates made the trip back to Saigon Saigon Bar for a quiet “roadie”!  This year, delegates enjoyed a range of traditional Vietnamese activities including authentic cooking classes and exclusive shopping activities which allowed them the opportunity to experience the culture and customs of Vietnam first hand. Some delegates choose to take a tour through the world renowned Cu Chi Tunnels which was a heart-wrenching experience for many as it ignited emotion of one of the largest underground battlefields of the Vietnam War.  The 2010 Annual Conference then came to a close but not without its usual bang. The Presidential Palace turned out to be the perfect venue for the final night’s Masquerade Ball with its rich history and wow factor. Aside from the excellent key note speaker in the Australian Consul-General, the highlight of the night had to be the US$2,600 raised by the auctioning of the Andrew Grech original painting.  After being transferred to level 23 at the Sheraton hotel we were not disappointed by our members partying attitude, and true to form, they continued to all hours of the morning. Thank you to all who attended this year’s conference and we hope to see you in Fiji in 2011!

 

< Prev